1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to controlling the depth and motion of an object underwater by using a processor to accurately control the volume of gas within, and thereby the buoyancy, depth, and motion (rate of ascent and descent) of, a buoyancy chamber that is attached to the object.
2. Related Art
Buoyancy control of an object underwater is used herein to refer to change in the buoyancy of the object as needed to accomplish a desired action on the object. Current methods of changing the buoyancy of objects underwater include releasing weights, pumping a liquid to displace water in a chamber, manually controlling gas within a chamber to displace water, and mechanically controlling the volume of gas within a chamber to displace water. All of these methods are very limited in providing the desired actions on the object. Limitations include single use, requirement of direct operator control, ability to control only one condition of buoyancy, and small amounts of buoyancy change for the volume of water being displaced. These limitations are significant factors in using these methods while operating underwater.
Other examples of prior art disclosing methods of controlling buoyancy include U.S. Pat. No. 6,142,092 (Coupland), U.S. Pat. No. 5,496,136 (Egan), U.S. Pat. No. 5,482,405 (Tolksdorf et al.), U.S. Pat. No. 5,379,267 (Sparks et al.), U.S. Pat. No. 5,283,767 (McCoy), U.S. Pat. No. 4,266,500 (Jurca), U.S. Pat. No. 4,202,036 (Bowditch et al.), U.S. Pat. No. 3,520,263 (Berry et al.), U.S. Pat. No. 3,228,369 (Warhurst et al.), German Patent No. DE 4,125,407 A1 (Fismer), and Japanese Patent No. JP 03-2911 (Ishitani), and U.S. Pat. No. 5,746,543 (Leonard).
U.S. Pat. No. 6,142,092 (Coupland) discloses a three-chambered, variable-volume buoyant body operating under the control of a depth controller.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,496,136 (Egan) discloses an automatic buoyancy compensator using a flexible air bladder.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,482,405 (Tolksdorf et al.) discloses a device for controlling at least one valve for admitting air into or releasing air from a life jacket for regulating diver depth.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,379,267 (Sparks et al.) discloses a buoyancy control system with first and second bladders is for maintaining a buoyant vehicle at a controlled depth by jettisoning either a heavy liquid or a light liquid.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,283,767 (McCoy) discloses an oceanographic instrument package with a dive control system including a microprocessor-controlled trim piston and cylinder.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,266,500 (Jurca) discloses a compressed fluid hover control system for a submersible buoy in which the water level in a buoyancy chamber is controlled in accordance with external water pressure and predetermined water levels in the buoyancy chamber. Both the gas inlet and gas exhaust valves for admitting and exhausting air from the chamber are controlled by an electronic circuit including a water pressure transducer.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,202,036 (Bowditch et al.) discloses a programmed microprocessor system for controlling the buoyancy of a neutrally buoyant instrument platform.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,520,263 (Berry et al.) discloses a constant depth control system for an ocean vehicle by adjusting the displacement of a rubber gas bag to achieve neutral buoyancy.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,228,369 (Warhurst et al.) discloses a system using a differential liquid density technique to adjust the buoyancy of a vessel.
German Patent No. DE 4,125,407 A1 (Fismer) discloses a diver""s buoyancy controller in which air is admitted and exhausted from an inflatable vest by electromagnetic valves controlled by a microprocessor.
Japanese Patent No. JP 03-2911 (Ishitani) discloses a system for controlling buoyancy using a fuzzy inference means.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,746,543 (Leonard) discloses a volume control module for controlling the air volume within the chamber of a buoyancy compensator apparatus for diving. The volume control module controls the volume of a fluid such as air in a buoyancy chamber of a buoyancy compensator device such as a buoyancy compensator vest comprises a main unit and a selector pad.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,746,543 (Leonard) is designed to be an add on device to existing buoyancy compensator apparatus for use in diving, not an independent variable buoyancy apparatus consisting of all the necessary components needed to provide control of the depth and motion of an object underwater.
It is to the solution of these and other problems that the present invention is directed.
It is a primary object of the present invention to provide a device in which the volume of gas within a chamber is controlled by a processor, for the purpose of controlling the depth, motion, and buoyancy of the chamber and an object in water to which the chamber is attached.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a device in which the volume of gas within a chamber is controlled by a processor, for the purpose of monitoring and automatically adjusting the volume of gas within the buoyancy chamber in response to changes in depth and motion or external forces.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide a device in which the volume of gas within a chamber is controlled by a processor, where the processor is programmable by the user. It is still another object of the present invention to provide a device in which the volume of gas within a chamber is controlled by a processor, in response to various operational modes selected by the user.
These and other objects of the invention are achieved by the provision of a device that, through a processor and associated memory, has programmed control of the volume of gas within a chamber, for the purpose of controlling the depth, motion, and buoyancy of the chamber and the depth and motion of an object in water associated with the chamber, the processor being in communication with: the buoyancy chamber, a means for measuring the volume or level of gas within the buoyancy chamber, at least one gas control mechanism to add gas to and remove gas from the buoyancy chamber, a depth measuring sensor, a power source, a gas source, and an input device to provide instructions to the processor.
The device has a central or primary component that incorporates the processor and associated memory, the processor being in communication with the means for measuring the volume of gas within the buoyancy chamber, at least one gas control mechanism, a depth measuring sensor, a gas source, and a power source. The processor is programmed via programming code stored in the associated memory, so as to perform operations and control the gas volume in the buoyancy chamber, so as to accomplish the instructed action. The processor will receive information at regular intervals regarding current depth, ascent or descent rate, acceleration, and gas volume in the buoyancy chamber. This information will be used to determine the operation of the at least one gas control mechanism through computations involving algorithms, the results of previous actions, program parameters, and the desired results.
The buoyancy chamber contains the gas being used to displace the water within the chamber so that the depth and motion of the object can be controlled. The means for determining the volume of gas within the chamber can operate through direct measurement of the gas volume, or the determination of the gas-water interface which is then used to calculate the gas volume. This information is used in computations by the processor.
The at least one gas control mechanism is used to add gas to and remove gas from the buoyancy chamber. It is controlled by the processor and is normally in the closed position. The at least one gas control mechanism is in direct communication with the buoyancy chamber. The at least one gas control mechanism can open to permit the passage of gas dependent on pressure differences, or be able to pump the gas in the desired direction.
The depth measuring sensor provides the processor with readings of the ambient pressure on a regular basis. This information is used in computations by the processor.
The power source is in communication with the processor, the means for measuring the water level, the at least one gas control mechanism, the depth measuring device, and the user input device as needed. Power can be supplied by batteries or delivered by electrical connection from an outside source.
The gas source is in communication with the at least one gas control mechanism, which allows gas to flow into the buoyancy chamber. The gas can be stored under pressure in storage tanks, or delivered to the system from an external source. The gas is used to displace water within the buoyancy chamber to control the depth, motion, and buoyancy of the chamber along with the depth and motion of the object to which the chamber is attached.
The user input device is in communication with the processor and is used to provide the processor with instructions to carry out the desired action. The selections available to the user may include: maintain current depth, maintain current buoyancy, ascend at a particular rate, descend at a particular rate, achieve neutral buoyancy, or suspend operations. The processor will operate the at least one gas control mechanism as determined by the program code to accomplish the instruction.
Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art upon a reading of this specification including the accompanying drawings.